Jacksonville Jaguars Accuse Former Employee of Stealing Over $22 Million

According to Yahoo News, the Jacksonville Jaguars have filed documents in U.S. District Court accusing former employee Amit Patel of stealing more than $22 million from the team through wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions. Patel, the franchise's former manager of financial planning and analysis, allegedly stole the funds via the Jaguars' virtual credit card (VCC) system over four years. He is accused of using these funds for online gambling, private travel, a Tesla, cryptocurrency, and a property on Florida's Ponte Vedra Beach. Patel reportedly even paid $95,000 for a Patek Philippe Nautilus, according to the documents. The team confirmed in a statement that they terminated Patel's employment in February 2023 and have been cooperating with the F.B.I. and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. The Jaguars also conducted a comprehensive independent review with law and accounting firms, which found that no other team members were involved in or aware of Patel's criminal activity. Patel was the sole administrator of the VCC system during his tenure with the team. Court documents state that Patel hid his fraudulent VCC transactions by duplicating legitimate reoccurring transactions, inflating their amounts, entering completely fictitious transactions, and moving legitimate VCC charges between months. Patel has waived his right to an indictment, and the case is expected to proceed based on the sworn information filed by federal prosecutors.